Someone new to survival preparedness – a newbie, newb or noob, is by definition someone who is inexperienced in the activity. While it is exciting to get going into a new area of interest, there will always be pitfalls to go along with it.
Here are a few that come to mind:
First let me say that ANY prepping is a good thing! So the rest of this opinion is not meant to be critical of that action. Instead lets shed some light on potential pitfalls while on your journey…
Don’t rush
Prepping and/or preparedness will quite possibly become a life-long journey which evolves into a way-of-life offset from the mainstream. With that said, one pitfall is to rush in to it while trying to get too much done at once. Instead, it’s better to prioritize and realize that it’s a process. It will take some time. Relax, and enjoy the ride…
Survival gear
Buying survival gear and setting it on the shelf. While this gear must set somewhere, it’s a VERY good idea to try it out and use it (more than once). Survival preparedness involves skills, and skills are learned. Reading about it is a start, but putting it to practice is another thing entirely. It takes some time and commitment on your part. Use it.
Food rotation
Food rotation. An instinct (and rightfully so) for the newbie is to stock up on extra food. It’s an easy thing to do and is the most promoted aspect of preparedness. The mistakes though include a lack of proper food rotation. Not only should you (generally) buy what you eat and eat what you store, but you should actually consume it as part of an organized food rotation plan. First in, first out. This way the oldest is consumed first – minimizing eventual waste.
FIFO.
No man is an island
You can do all that you can to survive by yourself via aspects of self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and security, but the actuality will be that you cannot do it alone. At first, yes, but in an extended SHTF, probably not. So with that said, and with all due operational security (OPSEC), you may wish to discover whether or not there are others nearby who are of the same general preparedness mindset.
Loose lips sink ships
Conversely to what I just said, it’s also a good idea to keep your mouth shut 😉 Although you will be excited about getting into preparedness (it really is fun), unfortunately the mainstream has painted an ugly picture of us, and you’re typically better off not talking about it (except if you’re sure that the ‘other’ person is on-board). It’s a sad but true reality.
‘Think’ and make plans
Know what you are preparing for. Take the time to think through the various ‘what if’ scenarios that have brought you to this stage of newbie preparedness. Be specific and make a
preparedness plan or plans. This will be different for many people based on their personal circumstances. Point being to get specific with yourself…
‘Bug-out’ is not what it’s cracked up to be…
Many newbies will gear up for the big ‘bug out’. While it may be reasonable to have a plan to bug out to a friend or family member who resides in a location better suited for SHTF than where you currently live, the problem is that many newbs won’t think it through initially and they figure they’ll just go hunker down ‘somewhere’ and ‘survive’. The thing is, that aint gonna happen… at least for long… 😉
Practicality and frugality
Buying things you don’t need. There are all sorts of ‘cool’ prepper things to buy. But you need to be practical about it. It’s so tempting to go overboard (or into debt) in order to get the ‘tactical’ this or that (or other buzzword whiz-bang things that seem really neat) which you don’t really need. Lots of times you can get by just as well with the lesser product than the expensive one (but not always 😉 ). Just try to reign yourself in and think about purchases before you make them.
Water!
Newbies (and regulars!) often really overlook ‘WATER’ in their preparedness plans and activities. Don’t let normalcy bias bite you in the ass (as though water is always plentiful). Instead think hard about contingencies for what you would do if your tap water became contaminated or stopped altogether. Remember, about 3 days without any water, and most will end up ‘horizontal’. There’s storage, there are filters, there is knowing where alternative water sources are…
Lots of opinions
The internet is a big place. There are lots of survival preparedness websites – tons more than when I started this blog in January-2010. Everyone has an opinion. Some claim (or insinuate) that they’re the expert and their way is the right way. While sometimes that may be true, the thing is there’s always more than one way, and sometimes people are downright ‘wrong’ (we’re all human). Only YOU can tailor your own methods of preparedness. Read what others have to say, but also use your head and your own instincts when applying what you’ve read about.
CONCLUSION
There are more pitfalls to consider, but hopefully those which I’ve brainstormed above will help some of you newbies who happen upon this article. For those who have already progressed into preparedness, lets hear your additional thoughts on what newbies should watch out for…
all good info and all good advice
I think Simon and Garfunkel were INDEED islands.
But seriously folks, try to not be so wedded to your plan that you can’t adapt.
Hard to add much to that. Maybe only, as I always stress, know what you can do – your own capabilities. In the long run all the ‘things’ you have will be eaten, used, worn out….. gone, that you start with. Care for whatever you possess is crucial; but you never know!, all might have to be abandoned. The only thing you ultimately have is ‘you’ – what you know, what you can do in reality. Knowledge, skill, taking concept and making it reality is the key.
This is why I push wild edibles and previously established food sources. We will mostly eat off the land and use stored food as a special thing a few times a week. Just like the fat calf of ages ago. This will make our stores last for years. Prepare your home! The first step is making sure your home is in a secure area! If it is not, you will be part of the problem. Last advice to newbies… have a plan. Ken advises to write it down. I agree to an extent. There are so many possibilities you can’t write them down, but you c an think about them. Do so…
Anyone know of a good place to find people in your area for prepping meets etc? Just a couple of locals to establish ideas etc. I know the neighbors are the best start, but you know what I mean… I’m in s.e. wis.
It really would depend on where you live Jeff, ie city, country, etc. but I would say, Gun range’s, church’s, classes in basic medical such as CPR. Think about what skills you will need as others of the same mind set will need the same skills. Just be careful on revealing too much, too soon to a stranger you are talking with.
This is a terrific article for the Newbie. Each section could be its own separate article but this was short, sweet and to the point.
One part not mentioned is security and protection. The Newbie is going to hear plenty about that topic and the choices will be many. It may frighten some people to think about it. Don’t let it overwhelm you. What is good for you is what you feel comfortable with. Everybody is different and so are their surroundings. Remember things change so take that into consideration. Do your research.
Great opening thoughts. IMHO prepping becomes a lifestyle….that being said, be aware of others in your immediate influence so that THEY come along with you! Once you get into the “swing of things” you will find it very liberating. Enjoy along the way.
Good advice. One simple thing to do which costs nothing is to locate alternative sources of water. We should have several sources of water available. Hopefully within walking distance. I have a good four season spring about a three mile walk from home. I also have city water and a well at my home.
I found an artesian public well down the road by word of mouth the first day I moved here, and locals who had been here long enough knew where it was because of power outages. I didn’t use it for 10 years until the power was out for a week in two counties.
Then with 9 campgrounds near me, the hand pump wells are available in spring to late fall which are tested monthly. Well, this is what I expect- I live in the land of lakes.
One of your best Ken, good job.
I would have to add only two things;
First of all “Relax”; the probability of the SHTF or TEOTWAWKI in 35 seconds or tomorrow at 8:25 is not as likely as most/some will have you believe, there are a LOT of fear mongers and people making HUGE profits around. The likelihood is high that something may/will happen in your lifetime (hurricane, flood, fire, flat tire in a snow storm, robbery) all of those can be considered a SHTF if you don’t have a “spare tire”. So please relax and mythically prepare for what you consider the reason for your concerns, do NOT run out and spend $30,000 on “stuff” you have no idea what it is or know why you have it. Buy it, use it, replace it.
Second; Do not TRY to be a “prepper” and chalk it up to another accomplishment going for that trophy along with the baseball and football trophies. Yes, having extra food/water/etc. is a very smart idea for anyone/everyone. BUT prepping, for me anyways, is a lifestyle, not a goal. Living a slightly simpler life, growing my own food, learning skills, doing for myself, disconnecting that TV (HAHAHA), going off grid (someday), and just finding out that a slower life is so much more satisfying.
Ok Ok, one more. Did I say relax? 🙂 🙂 🙂 Gather information on sites like this one, be aware of what’s going on around you, news, weather, emergency radio, “Situational Awareness, learn new skills, build your stores as you can, and most of all be smart on what you are doing. And for God’s sake, take the time to go fishing for a change.
NRP
Your post wasn’t here when I was writing my input, but dang! we have the same mind set. I noticed we both put in Ken’s Situational Awareness article which is a BIG survival tool. Ken has done a good job.
We are Jorg.
You will be assimilated into Modern Survival.
Resistance is futile.
If 7 of 9 is involved, no resistance will be offered.
There are more people prepping than you think. Some a little and a few a lot.
There really isn’t much I can add to all of the above information. If you don’t have the means to purchase what you need, then learn a useful skill that will likely be in demand after things fall apart. You can always trade your skills for what you need, and best of all, it can’t be stolen from you.
Good Article. I think a newbie who has little or no skillset get involved in learning new ones with the family. To accompany them on their journey, I suggest taking self defense courses, CPR and related training, firearm safety, camping skills, learning to fish and hunt, fire starting, and reading books/articles on the subject of survival, security, living off the grid, gardening, foraging food with wild plants, and situational awareness among others.
Also I recommend newbies to be more self reliant and pay off debts and save money because SHTF can be anything “personal” including losing a job or income that puts you or your family in jeopardy. Although I had skills before the world became more unstable, I paid off those CC debts and loans which was quite a burden off my shoulders. Funny thing is, I had fun doing it and learned new skills while saving money to pay them off. These things will make one feel more secure and confident once the preparing take hold.
I got into prepping because of losing power 3x for 5 days or more in a 5 yr period. It can be costly, but I purchase a lot my items on close out sale or just plan generic items.
Although I do not have a crystal ball, I feel I have accumulated enough items to take care of a lot of different scenario’s. I agree with Ken when it comes to knowing your items and how it works. Nothing worse than it not working when you need it most.
The one thing I do find difficult is have a wife like mine who somewhat doesn’t buy into the prepping notion. But I remind her how it was when we didn’t have the items when we first lost power for 5 days, and what a pain in the @ss it was trying to find and get basic items.
I still haven’t been able to get my husband to tell me what he really thinks of this. He used to joke about my “hoard” but now calls it my preps, which I find less offensive anyway. We’ve definitely talked about different things since I’ve decided I’m a prepper. I basically tell him that, some day, it may be us against them and that we need to be and are a team. He supports it fully, even comes up with suggestions and ideas, so at least he’s not working against me. He has bought a lot more ammo than usual lately.
Very good article Ken. As a life long prepper (because that is what most people did when we were young) I find I still make mistakes. For example I got the impression a few years ago while reading a prepper article that peanut butter was good for years if unopened so I bought a bunch that was on sale. Well we didn’t eat it fast enough & some of it went rancid. Lesson learned. Think these things through instead of just jumping in. Of course being the cheap skate I am I hated throwing it out. Therefore some got mixed into dog food & I still have a jar sitting near the mouse traps. Works great for them. DH set 6 trap in the garden shed using it & next day he had 6 mice so we continue to use it. 2nd lesson learned was mistakes can sometimes but not always be repurposed so try & learn new things from mistakes.
I have “known” that the gov.would try to take our guns for over 40 yrs.(father worked 4 gov….building weapons), thus starting a Civil war….
Don’t believe all your preps will assist you when the shtf……
The gov plan is well in place……We have all been infected with nano viruses, that when we attempt to battle the gov….they will activate the FINAL SOLUTION……which will kill or disable 75% of the population…..
Your only hope is to remain mobile and out of city areas……
SHEEPLE will be given safe haven for Their cooperation, then the exterminators will make it look as though the “rebels” Killed them, to turn SHEEPLE into reaction force……thus they will not have to expend real forces to battle rebels
What effect would an EMP or an electromagnetic field have on the nano technology? I mean the have to have IC chips.
Well… We all have to prepare for what we are most worried about and then branch out from there.
@Nihilist, True! I started decades ago being prepared for hurricanes. I find that my preps work for many scenarios. I also realize that I’m not prepared for everything! I dream of living the independent lifestyle of so many MSB posters, but, it’s a journey. Beach’n
One thing I certainly do like about Ken’s Blog, we do get an array of different ideas and scenarios 🙂
NRP
PRIORITIES – determine which disasters you want to prep for and notice the common requirements and go from there. The first one – location. If you decide to prep, then living in an area that has fewer dangers around you (to me) is one of the more important decisions to make. Some areas require specialized approaches. Coastline prepper – maybe a sailing boat makes more sense than a fixed retreat ? Desert prepper – water / food sources ? Forest prepper – fire season ! As so on.
Good article – I look forward to the responses / suggestions.
I’d like to add one the “mistakes” list. Assuming you always have to have the best. It won’t do you any good to save up for a year to buy an AR15 if someone breaks into your house next week. A cheap Hi-point 9mm pistol and a box of ammo will set you back about $200 and you’ll have something in your hands quickly. A 20 pound bag of white rice is enough calories for someone to live for 2 weeks and it can sit on the shelf almost indefinitely. You could buy one now for $15 or wait until you’ve saved $200 for 2 weeks worth of freeze dried meals. It will get bland really quickly but, it’s better than starving. AFTER the basics are covered, then go for the “best”.
That’s it exactly. None of my stuff is the super expensive “best” gear, but everything I have works. I’m working on having a few months worth of boring food for everyone in my family, not gourmet meals for a week. I don’t have a lot of money to put into preps and pay bills at the same time so I have to get stuff that works even if that means it is a little heavier, slower, or not as tasty. My old Mini14 and Makarov will work; my half built AR…not so much.
I agree that it is a good idea to have plenty of boring food on hand for two reasons. The first is that it is cheap. The second is that after eating the same boring food, everyone will be less likely to overeat, thereby losing some weight in the process. After all, you want to look like your starving like the rest of the sheeple. I experimented one time with this concept, eating the same thing everyday I think for about a week and a half. By the end of the first week, I was eating less and less of the chosen food. Just enough to kill the hunger. After several bites I found it got harder and harder to swallow even though I was no where near full. Instead I would then drink a glass of water to feel full. The plan here is to eat boring foods 6 days a week then a good hearty meal on the 7th day. I vaguely remembering my parents feeding us like that growing up. I guess that is why none of us were overweight.
The secret to that boring food is simple. SPICES . Boring foods like beans and rice are staples in most country’s,they are eaten every meal. They just cook them differently.
@ Novice & Nihilist
I totally agree with you both. The “best” will do no good if still sitting in the store, start out with what you can and work from there, there are a LOT of idea/list out there for starting, and supplying the first month or three with just a couple of trips to the store. Again, I want to say, this is a “life style” not a race to the finish line. I will say for sure as heck, I’m not one of those that has to have the “best” but please get what you can, and don’t forget the goal is to be prepared, not the winner with so much “stuff” you can’t see the top of the mountain piled in the garage and you have NO idea how to use it.
Relax, and do what you can as you can. Just remember learning how to do things, cost almost nada but time.
NRP
This is a great list to get started on the Prepper’s path.
To anyone new to prepping as you progress and become “CONVERTED” your view of the world will change. You will see others and life situations in a totally different light. Your own personal habits will change.
Some people even in your own family may become distant or even hostile to your new perceptions of the world around you. Don’t get discouraged. It has happened to EVERYONE on this site. It goes with being awakened to the path of a simpler more prepared life style. It’s not always easy but it is worth it.
An observation from last night. The wife and I went to an upscale buffet last night for a Birthday?, anniversary dinner. Great food. What was shocking is how much food people waste. They will load up a plate and then decide they don’t like it so off they go to load up another plate. We mentioned it to our server. She said they can’t say anything or they will be fired. She believes people do it on purpose so they get their money’s worth. It’s just an eye opener to how clueless most people are.
Weird. The once a year I go to a buffet, I get my money’s worth by seeing how many plates I can make EMPTY! 😀
My exit strategy is more of a waddle.
@Bill Jenkins – You are absolutely correct! I look at almost everything differently now. I found myself really looking at my route home from work the other week and imagining what it would be like with no light at all and having to walk it by myself. I truly did a little recon mission in my head on the best way to do it. Now if I could just test it out without getting caught trespassing.
As a Newbie (although I might like Noob better ?) I can say that this article hits the nail on the head on many counts.
Sites like this and all of the conversations, support, encouragement and ideas are invaluable. I’ve learned a lot just from reading all your comments and it really does help to channel my priorities.
I did check out several sites over the past year and I do have to say that, Ken, you do an awesome job keeping relevant and interesting articles coming and you do it in a way that presents and discusses issues without being “scary” about it. Sorry, but some of the sites are a little extreme and depressing. This is the only site I particpate in and keep coming back to. You’re all a great group!
I am miles behind a lot of the people on here but do take comfort knowing that, even for a short period of time, me and mine would be able to hold our own if TSHTF, whatever that turns out to be. And with all of your help, I plan to keep working to increase that length of time. It is a lifestyle. Plus, I got a whole bunch of fun new Christmas gifts to give this year! Although hubby found the headlamps one day before I got home from work and already head them set up and was using them to grill dinner.
I have to remind my hubby (on a regular basis) that the prep closet is not a substitute for the hardware store, etc. If you use it, you must replace it! It’s a challenge to live with those who aren’t so preparedness minded. Beach’n
I’m okay with him using stuff, at least I know they’re useful and therefore a good prep. I’ll have to work on the replacing part of it. Both headlamps have now disappeared, which means they are in his workshop somewhere and I should probably buy six more if I want them where I want them.
I’m having a problem keeping enough work gloves stocked. He’s getting more for Christmas and I’ll restock the preps too.
@Noob, thanks for the kind words. And welcome to the site…
@ Newbie AKA Noob
Quote “I am miles behind a lot of the people” Sorry I do not except that statement…. you’re, from your conversations, are well ahead of a LOT, and light-years ahead of those that have NO idea. Heck if TSHTF I’m coming to your place…. LOL
And THANK YOU “It is a lifestyle”, seriously, Thank you for saying that.
FYI, you want to see “scary”, just wait till we really get into a RANT-match on a Saturday… LOLOL Just wait till you see Beach’n, Lynn, Pioneer , canadagal, Stardust, and Peanut and others get after me…. HAHAHAHA Holy Moly. And that good guy Ken, just sits there and laughs his azz off at me… LOL Just watch out for the crazies like me, Thox, Thor, Bill, j.r. and a few others, even Nihilist are getting the hang of it 🙂 🙂 🙂 ….
Please if you ever have questions or concerns, ask…..
NRP
WE get after YOU ?!?! HAHAHAHA
@NRP
Yeah, we put the target on your back every Saturday.
Keep dodgin’…
I think I’ve become a hard-core prepper. Hubby got a gift card for Christmas. Handed it to me and told me to “go nuts” with it. Could’ve bought the very latest “must haves” for the kitchen but I didn’t. Came home with more caulking, insulation, duct tape and a variety of glues. Also replaced my dish rack and got some more mugs. I was thrilled to death with my haul.
Now if I can find something for personal protection that I can carry without getting in trouble, I’d really be a happy camper. Canada doesn’t allow concealed or open carry unless you meet a certain criteria. Oh well, hopefully something will come to mind.
In the meantime I keep acquiring a bit at a time.
kk
@ kk
Bear Spray….
NRP
@ NRP
Good idea. We do live in an area that has bears as well as other critters. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.
kk
Acquire a good walking stick/cane. I recommend a hardwood like oak,hickory. Legal to carry around. Gives you distance from an attacker. Not a weapon until you take out a knee cap or an ankle. Always hit below the waist first. Knees are vulnerable. The energy transferred from a swung cane/stick to the side of a knee cap is a lot. Swing high and you might get the cane taken away from you. Not good A good weapon hidden in plain sight.
@ Bill Jenkins Horse
I already use a cane whenever I go out shopping etc. Its got a heavy handle that is sort of pointed. Guess that could do some damage if handled properly. I also wear safety boots once the weather starts turning cool. Guess I need to practice kicking with them on. Hubby wants to get me a knife to carry but honestly haven’t carried one since my teens. Think I need to spend some time working on my knife skills too.
Many years ago, when I was a young single woman, I always carried an umbrella and held it like a club. Came in handy one day when some idiot got too close and personal. Wouldn’t let me get past him on the subway. I swung that umbrella with all my strength across his knee caps. He couldn’t get up off the floor of the subway car and I made my exit.
Thanks so much for the idea. Reminded me of what I used to do many years ago.
kk
ANYTHING can be a weapon. Just get used to seeing what’s around you in that light.
wasp spray. You never know when a wasp nest has been made in a corner of the building at work. (wink, wink) “I saw a wasp flying around and was worried about it” It sprays about 20 feet. Blinds anyone it comes into contact with. Hard to aim, when you can’t see, ah? Don’t even need a license to “carry” wasp spray.
There are also sling shots that fit in your pocket. I used to carry throwing knives and small throwing tomahawk, although a little cumbersome unless you use a belt and holder for them. I practiced cutting cards on a block on top of a stump. Came in handy when a man broke into my home while I was counting my cash from my paycheck in my living room and my tomahawk was right next to me. I nearly gave him a tomahawk hair cut and he took off scared as hell. Never came back. Me take scalps, LOL.
I got a CostCo gift card from my company for Christmas. I’m going to be bottling ham, making ghee, and taking back the winter boots I bought. I thought that by buying men’s boots instead of the foofy-skinny women’s boots I’d avoid buying boots that won’t go over my massive calves. No such luck. 🙂
Ken hit the “nail on the head” with the description, “Modern Survivalist.” That is the true description of the people on this site. IMHO, we are not merely the “Prepper” persona, nor are we the persona of “Survivalists,” as neither of these terms can truly define and describe us. To a “Noob” this is an important distinction. Society has assigned the words “Prepper” and “Survivalist” with negative connotations, and it is OK to say that those words do not define you. Part of my evolution included rejecting those descriptions and shifting the mental gear to redefine and upgrade my preparedness to a “Modern Survivalist.”
To clarify the word “Modern” it looks like most of us are “Mid to High Tech,” and “High Information Voters.” Even those that have shunned Tech for a simple life have wisely evolved to that point. INTEL from the internet regarding the state of the nation, or other research on living simply are an important “Prep.”
IMHO,to understand what we mean by preparedness being a “lifestyle.” Many on this site, including myself, were born and raised in rural areas. Growing up, I rarely saw a store bought can of vegetables, and we never purchased a sack of potatoes. We had a large garden and harvested around 150 pounds that lasted a full year. This is the lifestyle we grew up with and continue. (Of course, this also includes incorporating day-to-day ideas like composting and stocking up on sale items, you get the general idea)
I guess my best advice to the “Noob” is to shift your mindset to describe yourself in the positive light as a “Modern Survivalist.” Be excited about what you are doing, it’s ok !! Modern Survivalists want to survive any situation, be it hurricane, blizzard or whatever, because we love life.
There is no higher purpose in life than to try your best to take care of others — congratulations on starting Noobs !
Happy Prepping to You !!
I would suggest if you want to learn how to prepare:
Get a piece of paper, a pencil, and a flashlight, then shut the power of in your circuit breaker.
Do this for six hours and keep track of everything you used or wanted to have for those six hours. At the end of that six hours you should have a pretty good list of things written down. Turn the power back on. Now whatever is on that list, is the beginning ideas for your prepper starter kit. Voila, your journey has begun!
Get yourself a medium sized tote or box. Then add the items when you can. When you get that box filled with the basics: food, water, lighting. Next, a way to cook, keep yourself clean etc. Then you should be good for 3 days. Then keep expanding til you are covered for three weeks, then three months. Take it as far a you choose. And don’t forget to add a couple can openers.
You should be able to load up your 3 day kit with a lot of things from the Dollar Store.
I think it is important, for the Newbie, to “get started”/keep on plugging on. With the planning needed, the often negative attitude regarding this, it is daunting to actually “get started”/keep going.
Start bit by bit, and preps will grow, and knowledge will grow.
Keeping your mouth zipped about what your doing IS important. Maybe life saving, at some point. It is not something to chat with general friends, the cashier, etc.. a) they will soon think you looney b) you don’t want folks to steal you blind c)you don’t want folks to think you must be rich to have “so much”, and make you a general theft target.
If you have a room for preps, keep the window covered, put a lock on the door, so a casual visitor can not accidentally open said door, either out of curiosity or while looking for the bathroom.
AAARRRGH! I honestly feel a rant coming on. WHY IS “PREPPER” NEGATIVE?!?!?!? Yes, I’m yelling.
Seriously, why is labeling an action that involves self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, protecting your family and probably taking care of others negative?
I HATE that. That is like being a NURSE being viewed as negative. I realize it’s not the norm, but neither is Rocket Scientist.
Maybe it’s just my own bias, but I can’t see a bunch of people who are trying to make the most of what they have and making sure they have what they need as a negative thing.
Phew! NRP? And BTW, you’d be welcome at my house I think.
@ Noob-
“Why are preparedness minded-people unjustly given a negative connotation?”
LOL
Answer IMHO: Because common sense is not “normal” – common sense is rare.
Common sense is not “in style.”
After all, the Kardashians don’t prep, so it must not be “cool.” LMBO
Case in Point: Indiana has lots of snow and ice storms in the winter. The Sheeple in Indiana have been through YEAR after YEAR of these cold, tough winters. Each and every fall, Sheeple know that winter is near. When the time arrives, The weather service provides ample warning of incoming storms. Yet, at the last possible moments, in the few hours immediately prior to any given storm, the sheeple STAMPEDE, in huge herds, to the grocery stores, only to be SHOCKED that all the milk, bread, and frozen pizza have sold out. Dazed and confused, the Sheeple then murmur to the nearby herd of their perilous plight, so very surprised. The Sheeple then worry about the few items they did procure, the speed of the long checkout lines and driving home during the big storm that had already arrived during the stampede. Moral of the Story: Sheeple are incapable of learning. LOL
I’m a Happy Prepper because I’m Happily Prepared !! LOL
I now officially changed my “handle” from “Happy Prepper” to “Happy Modern Survivalist.” LOL
I like that!
Maybe I’ll change my name to “Modern Throwback”.
🙂
There! I did it!
On the subject of “common sense”. Just the other day I was helping a patient solve a problem with his prescription. During our conversation, I said that I didn’t understand why this was so difficult for his pharmacy to figure out… He said, “the problem is you have common sense and that’s a curse you know”. I of course asked him why it was a curse, and he told me, “Having common sense is a curse because you have to deal with people who do NOT have common sense!” It does drive me crazy sometimes.
Beach’n
“Dazed and confused, the Sheeple then murmur to the nearby herd of their perilous plight, so very surprised” This is also the point when the mindset of many sheeple transitions to “Who took all of the stuff” and become emboldened to “Get their fair share” from whomever may be stocked and prepared, depending on duration of event. Again, be very careful to whom you reveal your preps to.
Doomsday Preppers which aired on Nat Geo channel a couple years ago viewed preppers in a negative light, besides picking some weirdoes to represent us who went for the fame and money, revealing their locations, their weapons and ammo stores, their stock of supplies and their ways to survive. This is a big No-No in the prepping community.
During this time, the government feared preppers as potential terrorists on a watch list so their bulletin put out a warning to call authorities if someone had more than 3 days of food stored, used cash, and stock piled guns and ammo. Some others here will remember more than I. Seems because of these things, the “prepper” community did not use this term for themselves much after this. I certainly didn’t, and distanced my self far away from those people on Nat Geo. Funny how this word had changed, like being gay used to mean cheerful. 🙂
Because people who are unprepared and frightened are easier to control. Not in the sense of riots or other violence, but in the day to day sense of controlling price, quantity, political and economic beliefs, etc. People who are prepared are a threat to those who want the herd confused and frightened enough to follow anyone who will give them guidance.
@ Noob (formerly Newbie)
9,8 on the Rant-O-Meter
Not bad, not bad at all 🙂
NRP
Ken, timely article! I just finished telling DH how a coworker and I were chatting about gardening, seed saving, etc. today. She looked at me and asked me if she could ask me a positive question. She then said, “Are you a prepper? I mean this in the most positive light.”
I said ‘yes’ and I explained that it’s about any life circumstance, not like what they show on TV, (as many have been mentioned above). We talked about power outages from storms and the realization about how dependent we really are on electricity. We also talked about TPTB trying to take away public seed banks and the catastrophic effect that would have on gardening, seed saving, etc. Maybe I have a new convert at the office! Of course I won’t talk a lot about me and my circumstances, but it was kind of fun to be asked the question so directly! 🙂
Be the grey man. It is common in history for revolutions and tyrannical governments to eliminate people they think might threaten them. I can’t predict that our government will become tyrannical in our lifetime but statistically and historically the odds are pretty good.
Fear your neighbor or people who know you and even people you barely know. In political upheavals the leaders get paranoid and just a word from someone can get you thrown in jail or disappeared. Also people have their own agenda, they may want your property or your wife or almost anything and when things get dicey they may see an opportunity.
Break it down to the basics. Prepping is a mindset, skill set and physical state. Don’t buy a bunch of kits and expect to be able to survive. All your kit and food canned land can be destroyed or taken. Focus on training, improvising and being able to adapt. Do not count on a bunker full of food and weapons. Focus on learning how to make, acquire and survive. Think about if you lost your supplies…what skills do you have that are valuable? Start with making fire, hunting, fishing, soldier field craft. Make lists of not what you have but what you require and how you are going to get it without money, this is a good exercise, pretend you have nothing and write down how you would get it.
Do a little research … Living in the high desert of Northern Nevada water is a great concern. When I first started my preps I thought that “Life-Straws” would be great for ever family member. They filter to .2 microns and are good for up to 250 gallons of water for about $20 each. Through reading many articles, and the comments (which often are as informative if not more so than the articles themselves) I found that the Sawyer filters for the same price point are smaller, filter to .1 microns and are good for up to 100,000 gallons.
The many dehydrated food supplies are great and convenient, but I’ve found that most are very limited in protein. Storing hundreds of pounds of beans, rice, dehydrated or canned meats, vegetables, and bullion (to offer taste varieties) is actually more palatable and less expensive than a couple months of freeze dried preps.
Learning how to make soap … To make lye … To re-purpose “every day” items, as well as how to tie various knots and hitches, is of inestimable value.
As many others have said, this is a lifestyle, and my journey has been an ever evolving process. In short, welcome Noob! The few times that I’ve decided to post here, I have been warmly received by this supportive and fun community!
There are common events, which cause some disruption (power-cuts, floods, storms etc).
There are rare events which cause massive disruption (financial meltdown, fuel shortage, political instability, nuclear accident, war, revolution).
Start out with the more common events in mind. It is easier and more useful in the short term. Your preparations for short-term events can be a foundation for more advanced preparations later.
On Bugout prep, a rare and drastic requirement, useful if your lives are affected by flood, fire, industrial accident or mass pollution. A stepwise introduction, that is more useful is the Get Back Home prep.
Ken As usual you hit the nail again….being spot on with this topic reminds me we are all modern survivalists, because we want to learn, be proactive, and gain that very very warm fuzzy feeeling that we took the high road, and we did something out of the politically and social correctness norm. Also we are all always on a learning journey, as an example over the years I have addressed church groups, and would be preppers at survival meetings, and county prepardness sessions. People I have talked with were sometimes ahead of myself in the prepping journey. Ken a topic I would enjoy you posting is ‘major mistakes that we have made in our prepping journey’, so that maybe we could jumpstart those just starting out and also maybe provide some fine tunning for those that have been “walking the walk” for a while. I want to always be a sponge and am willing to adapt to better ideas as they surface. God bless this Country and all of us
Welcome to the newbies out there. We all started where you are now at. Now that you have taken the red pill:
Learn from others how to do things and in this area I must say: Consider the source. Find the veterans who have done it and stay far away from those that just talk. (God only knows there are a lot of bull sh#tters out there)
Case in point: The men that taught me how to shoot as a child did not give me the best advice on how to cook various cuts of wild game. They did not give me the best advice regarding butchering and meat processing either. Later, as I progressed beyond their scope of knowledge, they were not able to give me advice on dropping a black bear at 510 yards in the mountain passes using a 308 rifle. Though they were not able to answer all of my questions, I am still grateful to them for the knowledge they did impart to me as a young newbie.
I learned to butcher and process meat in a safe, sanitary manner from a butcher that ran his shop in my hometown. He and I went through school together as children. I traded goods and services for the education. (I helped refinish his floors in his shop) I worked in restaurants as a young man living in a resort area. (first skilled job taught me safe food handling skills)
I was already a good shot when I went through my first police academy. Tactical rifle school several years later was similar to the intro lecture at Top Gun School at Miramar (Movie) “You are all here because you are good shots. However good you think you are, we will make you better.” They were right. After 2 weeks, we were all able to hit the X ring at 300 yards and hit the figure 11 target at 500 yards using scoped 308 rifles. My instructors were all to old, fat and ugly to hit on (Unlike the Movie: Top Gun.)
Learn from others out there and be willing to share and pass on your knowledge. That is what makes this site such a good place to check out things. I have lived off-grid for 3 years and I can tell you how much work is involved just to stay warm and dry on a daily basis in the winter. (another fellow, is it NRP, is in the process of building his new house right now- Very informative series of articles)
Lastly, go out of your way to greet people and ask them about how to: raise fruits and vegetables, canning the surplus and raising your own livestock. (I do rural pest control using precision rifle fire to remove crop raiders under conditions of depredation permit. I contact a lot of farmers and ranchers)
Quickly scanned the responses and didn’t see what I consider to be one of the most important preps, physical fitness. It can be free and if you’re not fit all the preps in the world aren’t going to be near as useful if you’re too out of shape to use them to their full ability.
Tim, you are exactly right. This is VERY important, and something that I’m sure many could improve upon! Thanks for bringing it up…
Here’s a related article:
Walking: Survival Fitness and Exercise
I know I’ve been chiming in a lot, but that’s because I finally found a place where I am accepted as a newbie prepper and its not just a place full of skeevy old men with a gun fettish, no disrespect to the dapper gentlemen who love their firearms here, but some of the sites are more geared to men and as a newbie, a woman and a non tactical prepper I find that not a lot of places welcome me.
From experience I want to warn people about a pitfall that isn’t mentioned, ‘over kitting’ that is buying all the ‘right’ gear but not what you NEED for YOUR situation, if you are packing a get home bag, you don’t need the same stuff that would be in a BOB, or an Inch, and while I appreciate the “Zombie Killer” mentality, there are some dangers for especially new preppers, they focus on tactical decisions and become the people we revile on shows, while I am not against guns, I do think there comes a point where you have too much. Just sayin’, anyway, I got caught in the cycle of over kitting because I didn’t pay attention to what I needed, I was packing without regard for my surrounding, camping gear won’t help me in a concrete jungle, but a few power bars and a space blanket would.
I had to go back to the beginning and start over, decide what my goal was and why that was my goal (What’s my motivation) and from there plan accordingly. I had to figure out how to deal with handicaps like no transportation, but I did. I had to ask myself how much discomfort am I willing to endure to get home, and I was surprised at my answer. I have made my way home with only my kit, it took most of the day, but I did it, (Ok I cheated a tiny bit, having to stop at restaurants and beg for water) but now when I walk I keep an eye on my water.
I guess my point is, that those of us who are just starting need to make sure that we are not geeking out or Gearing out, before we are awareof our own needs, my rule is if I can’t think in under five seconds how I would use it between home and work, I don’t carry it in my Get Home bag. It goes in my bob or the car bag my partner has.